Edgar Quinet

French historian, writer and political philosopher.

His first publication, the Tablettes du juif errant (Tablets of the Wandering Jew),which appeared in 1823, symbolized the progress of humanity. His first major work was a translation of Herder’s monumental philosophy of history, Ideen zur Philosophie der Geschichte der Menschheit (Outlines of a Philosophy of the History of Man). Later he became disillusioned with German philosophy.

Quinet's Parisian professorship, which began in 1842, was notorious as the subject of polemics. His chair was that of Southern Literature, but, neglecting his proper subject, he chose, in conjunction with Michelet, to engage in a violent polemic with the Jesuits and with Ultramontanism. He was dismissed in 1846 by the Collège de France due to his adamant attacks on the Roman Catholic Church, exaltation of the revolution, and support for the oppressed nationalities of France and for supporting the theory that religion is a determining force in societies.

Quinet was an uncompromising opponent of Prince Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (Napoleon III) and he fled Louis Napoléon’s 1851 coup d’état to Brussels until 1858 and then fled to Veytaux, Switzerland until 1870. Quinet had refused to return to France to join the liberal opposition against Napoleon III, but returned immediately after the Battle of Sedan in the Franco-Prussian War. He was then restored to his professorship. He was elected deputy to the National Assembly by the département of the Seine in 1871, and was one of the most obstinate opponents of the terms of peace between France and Germany.

He continued to write till his death, which occurred at Versailles in 1875.

The portrait is from André Gill 1873